Translingual

Han character

柄 (radical 75 木+5, 9 strokes, cangjie input 木一人月 (DMOB), four-corner 4192₇, composition ⿰木丙)

1. handle, lever, knob
2. authority

References

• KangXi: page 518, character 8
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14603
• Dae Jaweon: page 906, character 9
• Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 2, page 1179, character 2
• Unihan data for U+67C4

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Chinese

simp. and trad.		柄

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (丙) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
	Old Chinese
更	*kraːŋ, *kraːŋs
粳	*kraːŋ
埂	*kraːŋ, *kraːŋʔ
浭	*kraːŋ
稉	*kraːŋ
梗	*kraːŋʔ
哽	*kraːŋʔ
綆	*kraːŋʔ
鯁	*kraːŋʔ
挭	*kraːŋʔ
骾	*kraːŋʔ
郠	*kraːŋʔ
硬	*ŋɡraːŋs, *ŋɡraːŋs
鞕	*ŋɡraːŋs
丙	*pqraŋʔ
炳	*praŋʔ
邴	*praŋʔ, *praŋs
怲	*praŋʔ, *praŋs
苪	*praŋʔ
蛃	*praŋʔ
昺	*praŋʔ
昞	*praŋʔ
窉	*praŋʔ
柄	*praŋʔ, *praŋs
鈵	*praŋs
寎	*praŋs
病	*braŋs

Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *praŋʔ, *praŋs) : semantic 木 ‎(“wood”) + phonetic 丙 ‎(OC *pqraŋʔ) – a wooden handle.

Pronunciation

Definitions

柄

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Compounds

References

• (Cantonese) Multi-function Chinese Character Database (漢語多功能字庫)

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Japanese

Kanji

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

1. a handle, lever, knob
2. a design or pattern
3. one's build or character

Readings

• Goon: ひょう (hyō), (historical) ひやう (hyau)
• Kan’on: へい (hei)
• Kan’yōon: ひ (hi)
• Kun: え (e), かび (kabi), かい (kai), から (kara), がら (gara), つか (tsuka), つく (tsuku)
• Nanori: から (kara), ら (ra)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
柄
え Grade: S
kun'yomi

Change in meaning from 枝 ‎(e, historically ye, “branch, stem”).^[1]

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• (Tokyo) え [è] (Heiban - [0])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [e̞]

Noun

柄 ‎(hiragana え, romaji e)

1. a handle, a grip, a shaft, a haft

   大鎌 (おおがま)の柄 (え)

   ōgama no e

   a snath, a scythe shaft

Synonyms

• 取っ手, 取手, 把手 ‎(とって, totte)

Idioms

• 柄 (え)の無 (な)い所 (ところ)に柄 (え)をすげる ‎(e no nai tokoro ni e o sugeru): “to attach a handle where there isn't one” → to strain credibility with one's words, to talk out one's ass

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
柄
かび Grade: S
kun'yomi

From Old Japanese. Used in the Kojiki. Generally regarded as cognate with 黴 ‎(kabi, “mold”), from the shared idea of sprouts or shoots. Appears to be noun stem of Old Japanese verb かぶ ‎(kabu) (source of modern Japanese 黴る, kabiru, “to go moldy”), with probable original meaning of to sprout.^[1]

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• IPA^(key): [ka̠bi]

Alternative forms

• 穎

Noun

柄 ‎(hiragana かび, romaji kabi)

1. (archaic) a sprout
2. (archaic) an ear of grain, particularly of rice
3. (archaic) the handle or grip of a tool, or hilt of a blade (by extension from the idea of “a smaller portion sticking out from the main body” like a sprout)

Usage notes

The grain sense is more commonly spelled 穎.

Synonyms

• (sprout): 芽 (め) ‎(me)
• (ear of grain): 穂 (ほ) ‎(ho), 穂先 (ほさき) ‎(hosaki)
• (handle): 柄 (つか) ‎(tsuka) (see below)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
柄
かい Grade: S
kun'yomi

/kabi/ → /kai/

Alteration of kabi.^[1]

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• IPA^(key): [ka̠i]

Alternative forms

• 穎

Noun

柄 ‎(hiragana かい, romaji kai, historical hiragana かひ)

1. (archaic) see kabi above

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
柄
から Grade: S
kun'yomi

From Old Japanese. Origin of particle から ‎(kara, “from, because”).^[1]

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• IPA^(key): [ka̠ɾ̠a̠]

Suffix

柄 ‎(hiragana から, romaji -kara)

1. of the same lineage
2. the inherent qualities or characteristics of a thing

Usage notes

The lineage sense is often found embedded in other words, such as the first few of the following.

Derived terms

Noun

柄 ‎(hiragana から, romaji kara)

1. (archaic) (by extension from the qualities sense) an origin or source, a reason for something

Usage notes

Often followed by the particle に ‎(ni). This usage evolved into the modern particle から ‎(kara, “from, because”).^[1]

Etymology 5

Kanji in this term
柄
から Grade: S
kun'yomi

In light of the stem sense, probably derived semantically from origin, source meanings.

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• IPA^(key): [ka̠ɾ̠a̠]

Alternative forms

• 幹

Counter

柄 ‎(hiragana から, romaji -kara)

1. used to count items with shafts

Noun

柄 ‎(hiragana から, romaji kara)

1. the trunk or stem of a plant
2. the shaft of an arrow
3. the shaft, haft, or handle of a tool

Prefix

柄 ‎(hiragana から, romaji kara-)

1. describes something with a stem, shaft, or handle

Usage notes

The shaft sense is often found embedded in other words, such as the following, which are often spelled with other kanji.

Derived terms

Etymology 6

Kanji in this term
柄
がら Grade: S
kun'yomi

Alteration of kara, “qualities, characteristics”. Originally only found as a suffix. The kara changes to gara as an instance of rendaku (連濁). The rendaku pronunciation was then later used independently.^[1]

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• (Tokyo) がら [gàrá] (Heiban - [0])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [ɡa̠ɾ̠a̠]

Suffix

柄 ‎(hiragana がら, romaji -gara)

1. the inherent qualities or characteristics of a thing
2. a shape, pattern, or design

Derived terms

Noun

柄 ‎(hiragana がら, romaji gara)

1. one's physical shape or build

   柄 (がら)の大 (おお)きいやつだな。

   Gara no ōkii yatsu da na.

   Wow, he's sure built big.

2. one's character, personality, or temperament

   柄 (がら)の悪 (わる)い人 (ひと)

   gara no warui hito

   a person with a bad character

3. a pattern or design, such as on cloth

   あの柄 (がら)は派手過 (はです)ぎるよ。

   Ano gara wa hade-sugiru yo.

   That pattern is way too colorful.

Synonyms

• (build): 体付き, 体付 (からだつき) ‎(karadatsuki); なり ‎(nari)
• (pattern): 模様 (もよう) ‎(moyō)

Idioms

• 柄 (がら)にもない ‎(gara ni mo nai): “not even in one's character” → just not in one, just not suitable for one's character or abilities

Etymology 7

Kanji in this term
柄
つか Grade: S
kun'yomi

Cognate with 束 ‎(tsuka, ancient unit of length, equivalent to the amount covered from pinky to forefinger when gripping something; analogous to English hand).^[1]

Both likely derive from verb 付く ‎(tsuku, “to set to, to attach, to accompany”), particularly as seen in modern Japanese idioms such as 手を付ける ‎(te o tsukeru, “to set one's hand to something”), 手が付く ‎(te ga tsuku, “to start using something”, literally “one's hand sets on something”).

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• (Tokyo) つか​ [tsùkáꜜ] (Odaka - [2])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [t͡sɯᵝka̠]

Alternative forms

• 欛

Noun

柄 ‎(hiragana つか, romaji tsuka)

1. the hilt of a sword or knife, or the grip of a bow or staff
2. the portion of a brush pen held in the hand
3. a ****

Idioms

• 柄 (つか)を握 (にぎ)る ‎(tsuka o nigiru): “to hold the grip” → to stay the course in a career or trade and become an old master
• 柄 (つか)を取 (と)る ‎(tsuka o toru): “to take the grip” → to stay the course in a career or trade and become an old master

Etymology 8

Kanji in this term
柄
つく Grade: S
kun'yomi

Nominalization of verb 付く ‎(tsuku, “to attach”).

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• IPA^(key): [t͡sɯᵝkɯᵝ]

Alternative forms

• 銑, 釻

Noun

柄 ‎(hiragana つく, romaji tsuku)

1. the nock on either end of a bow where the bowstring rests
2. a bent nail or other kind of spike attached to or driven through an iron staff or a truncheon to make the weapon more dangerous
3. the areas on either end of a yoke or other carrying pole where cordage or rope is attached, from which the load is carried
4. the grip of a tiller, boathook, or other pole
5. (as a pun on the verb sense of stick to, attach) a female entertainer's or prostitute's secret lover

Usage notes

The grip sense is not spelled using the alternative forms, and is only spelled 柄 in kanji.

Synonyms

• (secret male lover): 隠 (かく)し男 (おとこ) ‎(kakushi otoko), 隠男 (かくしおとこ) ‎(kakushi otoko)

Etymology 9

Kanji in this term
柄
ほぞ Grade: S
Irregular

Ateji or misspelling for uncommon 表外字 ‎(hyōgaiji, “non-standard character”) kanji 枘 ‎(hozo, “navel”, also generic term for something that protrudes slightly). Note that the right half of 柄 is 丙, with a top bar, while the right half of 枘 is 内, without a top bar.^[1]

Pronunciation

• (Irregular reading)
• (Tokyo) ほ​ぞ [hóꜜzò] (Atamadaka - [1])^[2]
• (Tokyo) ほ​ぞ [hóꜜzò] (Atamadaka - [1])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [ho̞zo̞]

Alternative forms

• 枘, 臍, 蔕

Noun

柄 ‎(hiragana ほぞ, romaji hozo)

1. a tenon, as in a mortise and tenon carpentry join
2. (slang) a ****

References

1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2. 1 2 3 4 5 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9

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Korean

Hanja

柄 • ‎(byeong) (hangeul 병, revised byeong, McCune-Reischauer pyŏng, Yale pyeng)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

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Vietnamese

Han character

柄 (bính)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.